You asked: How can one have faith, as described in the Urantia Book, without committing self-deception? I enjoy reading the Urantia Book, but strongly suspect it to be entirely of human origin with much content that is untrue.

Thanks so much for writing to us here at TruthBook with your question/comment about faith and The Urantia Book. The answers to the questions of faith ultimately lie within yourself and have to do with your true desires.

To the natural wo/man, faith might seem a ridiculous thing. How – and why – should a rational being profess faith in something that can’t be seen? You call it “self-deception.” And you are not alone. If it was an easy acquirement, the world might be a very different place. Even a spiritual giant like Mother Theresa struggled with faith at the end of her life.

All I can really offer you in reply is my own experience with God as a result of my own faith-adventures that have resulted from practicing Urantia Book teachings. Without going into detail, I can say that my faith has been rewarded time and again with what I consider absolute proof. But it’s MY proof, and may not mean anything to anyone else.

“Have you faith? Then have it to yourself.” (Romans 14:22).

Having said that, I can also offer my belief that faith is truly a gift. No gift is of any value until it is accepted and used; only then can its true worth be appreciated.

You asked how one can have faith without being self-deluded? I say that this is the essence of faith: that you pick up this gift and make the decision to have a good look at it spite of your honest doubt. If you are sincerely seeking the truth, this could be a new door for you.

You can make a simple experiment by deciding to suspend your doubts temporarily and step out onto that limb of faith … simply for the purpose of gathering evidence. Ask God (the giver of the gift) to help you understand faith better, and how to understand him better. Once you go half-way with him, he will meet you where you are.

If you really want answers, be persistent – and pay attention. God really does work in mysterious ways sometimes…it can be an intriguing journey, and may be a lot more interesting than refusing to try. Who knows? You may experience something you never suspected…but sincerity is key.

Regardless of your sentiments regarding the truth of The Urantia Book, the subject of faith is one that has been of great interest forever; there are probably thousands of other books that deal with faith that you could read. And likely many of them would mirror what the UB teaches in essence. The faith adventure is not unique to Urantia Book teachings.

Faith may always be an issue that holds your interest and presents a challenge. Why? Because I think we humans are wired for faith; we instinctively long for help from “above.” We long to know that we are not alone, that we belong to something greater than ourselves, that we are known and loved and understood, that our lives mean something, that our highest goals and ideals are worthy and attainable, that we are more than a random evolutionary accident with nothing to look forward to other than this one short life on this lonely little planet on the outskirts of a very large universe…

Living a daily faith journey with God as your partner and friend can answer all of those longings and desires. Is it “self-deception?” Or is it a deliberate, logical, reasoned approach to an existence that is otherwise unfathomable? Only you can come to a conclusion that satisfies you. But you have to make the effort. I can’t convince you; you have to prove it to yourself. Experiential proof is the bottom line for everyone. And it can be had if you sincerely seek it.

Jesus taught us that the only real struggle that any of us have to face in the quest for spiritual meaning is doubt – unbelief. He might have said that because he understood how difficult it is to fight that “good fight” of faith in a dark world such as ours. I suspect that this fight is waged in many a soul.

Jesus taught:

“The world is filled with hungry souls who famish in the very presence of the bread of life; men die searching for the very God who lives within them. Men seek for the treasures of the kingdom with yearning hearts and weary feet when they are all within the immediate grasp of living faith. Faith is to religion what sails are to a ship; it is an addition of power, not an added burden of life. There is but one struggle for those who enter the kingdom, and that is to fight the good fight of faith. The believer has only one battle, and that is against doubt—unbelief.”

Thanks again for writing with your heartfelt question. I hope that my reply has been helpful.